Najmah Character Analysis

(MIP-1) Najmah has lost her voice and control over her life due to the traumatization after witnessing death of her mother and little brother. (SIP-A) Najmah has lost her voice due traumatization after witnessing the horrific passing of her mother and baby brother Habib. (STEWE-1) Najmah is trying to communicate right after the death of her mother which occurred on page 82 but she cannot since she mentally states,”But I feel as if my tongue has been locked inside my mouth ever since I saw my mother airing the quilts just Before the bombs fell." (Staples 88) Najmah is completely traumatized, and is just speechless. Najmah is even trying to talk but she is so traumatized that she cannot, "I try to communicate, but although the words form inside

(STEWE-3) When Najmah 's mother and Habib die from the bomb, she develops a temporary muteness, which affects her throughout most of the book, "I turn Habib over. He is lifeless, his small body heavy and still. She does not try to talk to me, and I am grateful. What can anyone say to me now?" (82-83). This proves that she is mute because she doesn’t know what she should say or what anyone would say to her. (SIP-B) Najmah also loses control over her life when she witnesses the deaths of her mother and baby brother. cutting Najmah’s hair and changing her clothes, "I do not resist- nor do I help- when she removed the remains of my tunic and skirt..." (Staples 84) Najmah didn 't choose have her clothes changed, and she doesn 't have control over what she is doing she is just sitting there having her clothes changed by another person. (STEWE-2) Najmah was forced to transform into Shaheed when her head was shaved on page 84, “She picks up- over my head” (Staples 84) This is the exact moment Najmah transforms into Shaheed, and loses a say in her life. (CS) Najmah has lost her voice and control over her life due to the traumatization after witnessing death of her mother and little

Going to Peshawar is the key catalyst that influences Najmah to start talking.(SIP-A) The key ctatalyst that influences Najmah to start talking is Peshawar.(STEWE-1) Nusrat saw the locations Najmah’s catalysts and figured that Najmah might in fact be a girl since the only way to get catalysts in the places Najmah has catalysts is to do girls work, “I knew you were a girl because of the way your hands are callused”(Staples 194) Najmah never talked and was traumatized until she met Nusrat who discovered that Najmah was a girl, and she realized that there is no reason to stay quiet anymore since that was her protection from her cover being broken and now that her cover is broken she is talking again.(STEWE-2) The key catalysts that influences Najmah to talk are Nusrat and Peshawar because if she never went to Peshawar she would have never met Nusrat who influenced her to talk. (SIP-B) Peshawar is the reason Najmah has fully taken control over her life.(STEWE-1) If Najmah had never thought of going to Peshawar she never would have started to take control over her life since she took initiative of going on the truck to Peshawar, "I begin to think I might be able to talk again if I want to. A plan begins to grow within me..."(Staples 151) Najmah has taken initiative of making a plan that will help her